This invention relates to a releasable binding system for the sport of snowboarding. Snowboards at the present time are ridden without any form of releasable binding system. Conventionally, the rider's booted feet are strapped to the upper surface of the ski board with the forward foot being at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the ski board and the rearward foot being placed at substantially normal angle to the longitudinal axis of the ski board. These feet orientations are maintained by the strap binding systems so that when the rider (ski-boarder) looses control and is wiping out, there are significant chances of injury to the rider while the ski board is strapped to his feet. Releasable bindings, are, of course, quite common with regular skies with typical examples being reflected in the patents of Wiley U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,922, Salomon U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,070, Gersthch et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,499, Salomon U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,591, D'Alessio et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,064, Ramillon U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,065 and Teague U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,237. Commercial ski boards which have boot bindings for securing the snow boarder's booted feet on the upper surface of the snowboard at predetermined Cangles (with the ability to adjust the angle) are well known in the art and are available from such companies as Burton Snowboards of Manchester Center, Vt., and which are generally of some laminated construction with the trailing lower surface being slightly curved or shaped with ridges or runners for control purposes. Since the ski board requires the ski boarder's feet to be oriented in an entirely different direction than on normal skies, those forces which would normally cause a release of conventional skies are not acting transversely to the ski i.e. in the general direction of the skier's feet.
According to this invention, the releasable ski board system comprises releasable toe and heel binding clip means secured to the forward and rear ends, respectively of the ski board, such releasable toe and heel binding clip means being of conventional construction of the type generally disclosed in the aforementioned patents. Simulated toe and heel members for releasable engagement or securement to the booted foot of the ski boarder are provided and the booted feet of the skier is secured to the simulated toe and heel member which, in turn, engage the releasable toe and heel clip binding means.
In a preferred embodiment, the release of one skier's boot from the ski board automatically and simultaneously causes release of the other ski boot from the ski board. In this regard, a coupling means extends between a pair of releasable boot bindings and senses the release of one boot from one of the pair of releasable boot bindings to cause a release of the other skier's boot. The releasable toe and heel bindings on the ski board can in a preferred embodiment simply be a single forward toe binding clip and a trailing single heel binding clip of conventional construction. In this aspect, there is a single simulated toe member connected to the forward boot or of the ski boarder and a single simulated heel member secured to the trailing boot of the ski boarder. A ski boot for use with the ski board according to the invention can comprise a sole piece with first toe and heel portions of conventional construction and an upper for securement to the user's foot. In this regard, the improvement comprises a simulated toe portion on one lateral side of the boot portion and a simulated heel portion on the opposite lateral side of the boot. The simulated toe and heel portions are aligned with each other and the longitudinal axis thereof is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the first toe and heel portions for the forward boot and are normal to the longitudinal axis of the sole and heel piece for the trailing boot. In a preferred embodiment, the simulated toe and heel portions are releasably secured to a conventional boot (which may be a ski boot) by conventional ski toggle clamp so that the simulated toe and heel portions are released from the ski board and stay attached to the rider's boots, and can easily be unclamped so the boots can be used for conventional skiing. In a further aspect of the invention, a flexible resilient coupling means such as rubber or other elastomeric member or a coil spring is between the sole of the ski boot and the simulated toe and heel portions are able to shift the direction of the force vector of the rider's weight upon the ski board to thereby enhance the user's ability to control the ski board.